A man stepped out into the wild and surveyed the world at large
He knew what needed to be done, because he was the Man in Charge.
His shoes were polished perfectly, and his hair was cut pristine,
His tie was neatly in its place, and his jaw was shaven clean.
His shirt was tailored to his build, his suit was grey and bland,
And he wore expensive sunglasses as he gazed across the land.
He saw a separation, that couldn’t be denied,
Two towns were being kept apart due to a great divide.
The Man in Charge knew what to do, and he began to sing,
“If we put a bridge right here, then that’ll be just the thing.”
Volunteers came from far and wide, but no one had the stuff.
They said that they could build a bridge, but they just weren’t good enough.
Then out the shadows stepped a man who had been standing by,
“I know what you want,” he said, “and let me tell you I’m your guy.”
The man was strong and able, and his hands were rough and worn.
He’d been building bridges ’round the world since before you or I were born.
The Bridge Builder demanded that the bridge be strong and thick
He wanted reinforcement in every pillar, and quality in every brick.
Money was no object, only the very best would do,
He demanded the plans be double checked, and he interviewed the crew.
The Man in Charge, meanwhile, didn’t want a single penny gone astray
So he employed an Overseer to keep embezzlement at bay.
The Bridge Builder set to work, in the best way that he could.
He cleared the land and dug some holes, and planted stone and wood.
He’d done this a hundred times before, he was a master of his craft
He had intimate knowledge of every screw, and bolt, and shaft.
He was careful with his calculus, he measured every foot,
And at the end of every day he was satisfied with his output.
As time went by The Overseer began to be afraid,
He wasn’t doing the very thing for which he was being paid.
There was no corruption that he could see, which made him kind of nervous,
The Man in Charge had put him there to perform a special service.
So as time went by the pressure rose, and the Overseer had to act
He found a problem that wasn’t there, and with it he attacked.
One day he found the Bridge Builder, and whispered in his ear
“The blueprints call for three supports, but look what we have here,
If my eyes are to be trusted, you’ve planted only two.
That goes against the plans, my friend, and I’m afraid that just won’t do.”
The Bridge Builder nodded once, but he was entirely unfazed,
“Your eyes do not deceive you,” he said, “your observation should be praised.
For according to my calculations, three pillars would be excessive
I’ve reduced the cost by vast amounts, which I think is quite impressive.”
The Overseer saw his chance, and he pounced with all his might,
“But you haven’t followed the rules we set, and I don’t think that is right.
You’ve deviated from the plan, so I’m giving you a fine,
You’d better sort this out right now, else I’ll continue to malign.”
So the project came to a halt, as the Bridge Builder went to court.
The delay was quite expensive, and his budget came up short.
It was a convoluted process which the Bridge Builder couldn’t comprehend
But he filed all the paperwork and saw it to the legal end.
No corruption was discovered, and no fine was to be paid
But by then the bridge in question was hopelessly delayed.
The due date was approaching fast, and he took all the help that he could find
The Bridge Builder pulled out all the stops, but still he fell behind.
And when the deadline came and went, the bridge was not completed.
The Overseer pounced again, saying, “Our agreement is deleted.
You failed to keep your word, so we shan’t pay you a cent,
All I can do is reimburse you for the money already spent.”
The Bridge Builder shook his head, for there was nothing to be done,
The time wasted was priceless, the money gained was none.
So with heavy heart he packed his things, and went back to whence he came
His pride had been quite tarnished, he’d lost most of his fame.
The Man in Charge stepped into the wild to survey what had been done,
An incomplete bridge lay decaying in the sun.
His money had been wasted, but what was he to do?
The only logical solution, was to start the bridge anew.
He put the call out once again to find a builder with some skill
A new contract would be drawn up, the townsfolk would foot the bill.
And as builders from far and wide were vying for a place
The Man in Charge was satisfied, he had a smile upon his face.
For although some time had been lost, and some money had been spent,
Everything was in its place, he’d kept track of every cent.
The people in the towns could sleep peacefully tonight
Knowing that the Man in Charge had done exactly what was right.
Everyone had done their jobs, and honesty was key
Business was conducted openly for everyone to see.
In the end, the two towns remained distinctly quite divided
But the Man in Charge was confident that his decisions hadn’t been misguided.
Sweet Chile Source 